What does pet safe actually mean?

Most conventional household cleaners are designed with cleaning power in mind, not what happens when a dog walks across a still-damp floor or a cat curls up on a freshly wiped surface. Harsh chemicals such as bleach, ammonia and strong synthetic fragrances can be irritating to paws, skin and airways, and pets are far more likely to come into direct contact with them than we are. A pet safe cleaner is formulated to avoid these ingredients while still doing the job.

What to look for

• Plant based, natural ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals.
• No bleach or ammonia, both of which can be irritating to pets in concentrated form.
• Suitable for sensitive skin, useful for pets prone to allergies or skin sensitivity.
• Clear dilution instructions, so you know exactly how the product is meant to be used.

What is in a natural pet safe cleaner?

Our own range is a natural, multi-purpose cleaner suitable for cleaning most areas of the home, made with distilled white wine vinegar, tinctures of cinnamon and thyme, and scented oils, available in a wide range of scents. It is used the same way as a standard cleaner, added to a bucket of hot water, a spray bottle or a steam mop, just without the harsher ingredients found in many conventional products.

Using pet safe cleaners well

• Keep pets off a freshly cleaned floor until it has dried, even with a natural product.
• If your pet has particularly sensitive skin, patch test a small area first.
• Store any cleaning product, natural or not, out of reach of curious noses and paws.
• Follow the dilution instructions on the bottle rather than guessing.

Switching to a pet safe cleaner is one of the simpler changes you can make around the home, and it means one less thing to worry about with a dog or cat under your feet while you clean.